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Reviews tagging 'Torture'
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
214 reviews
zombiezami's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Murder, Gore, Animal death, Death, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Blood, Violence, and War
Moderate: Torture
banscout's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
i said midway through reading this that i wanted to inhale the words and grasp desperately to each syllable as if it were the last breath i ever took, but honestly, after finishing the book i now know that i want for more than that. i want to tear apart my heart and embed each word onto each and every artery. this is a masterpiece, well and truly. i have never read such a thrilling piece that has had me in ruins because good god, that writing is not even phenomenal, it is a word not even fathomed to language yet. this is a gift to the writers told that to write, you must meet tradition. fuck tradition. write with the flowers in mind, and love with your words entwined.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Body horror, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Gore, Cannibalism, Torture, Animal cruelty, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Medical content and Grief
pandemonicbaby's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Suicide attempt, Gore, Grief, War, and Torture
Minor: Colonisation
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a novella, but it almost reads as poetry in the way that it's written. It's one of those books that you don't really get the entire story until the end, but getting there is definitely worth it. I always enjoy books where a lot of the story is told through letters, and this was no exception. This isn't necessarily the kind of book I would pick up on my own, but I am definitely glad that I read it.
One of my favorite things about this book was the way language was used in very specific ways throughout, to convey emotions, to show what's going on with the Time War, to bring us into this specific world. It's the kind of story that will keep you thinking long after you finish reading it.
One of my favorite things about this book was the way language was used in very specific ways throughout, to convey emotions, to show what's going on with the Time War, to bring us into this specific world. It's the kind of story that will keep you thinking long after you finish reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Torture, and Body horror
the_true_monroe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I read this for a queer book club and I was very hesitant at first as the writing style was beautiful yet so difficult for me to understand.
Despite how confused I was throughout the book, I think I was able to follow along well enough to at least very much understand and LOVE the ending.
Also, the cover is beautiful!
Despite how confused I was throughout the book, I think I was able to follow along well enough to at least very much understand and LOVE the ending.
Also, the cover is beautiful!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Murder, Animal death, and Death
Moderate: Body horror and Blood
Minor: Confinement, Genocide, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Torture, and Suicide
qteabeans's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
What a stellar book. This is my second time reading This Is How You Lose the Time War and it was worth making time for it. It really embodies that sense that queer people will need to create a world of their own to have a place that supports and celebrates their love and connection.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Death
Minor: Blood and War
matteo_rio's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
3.75
very fun premise but i wasn’t particularly drawn to either character? i think if this was longer than a novella i’d have liked it less
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Murder, and Torture
jayisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
3.0
Novellas are tricky, considering their constraints and the author(s) having to do just the right amount of worldbuilding, character development, pacing, and the rest. I often find that many novellas don't quite work for me because I always felt something was missing/lacking. Unfortunately, this was the case for This Is How You Lose the Time War.
The novella heavily relies on the characters to carry the story, which I don't think is entirely an issue. I thought the epistolary approach was a really unique way to reveal the relationship between Red and Blue, as well as to help push the story along. However, I wasn't entirely taken to this romance. I had too many questions that might have been addressed if there was more worldbuilding. I think if the authors fleshed out their dystopian world some more so the reader could follow what was happening and why, the novella would have been far more compelling. It also would have greatly developed Red and Blue as characters because their motives would have been clearer.
Something else that stood out to me about this novella was the prose. It's very purple-y prose, which will work for some, while others will hate it. It was clear that a lot of thought went into each sentence, especially in the letters. Admittedly, I did find the flowery language to be a bit much at times, but it wasn't a negative for me in general.
TIHYLTTW clearly worked for many people, though, with many fans expressing their love for the slow burn sapphic romance. So, there's also the fact that I'm not much of a romance person (as I've probably made clear in many reflections/ramblings), and maybe I just wasn't the target audience.
Overall, I wasn't particularly frustrated with this novella, but I'm not fully understanding the adoration for it either.
The novella heavily relies on the characters to carry the story, which I don't think is entirely an issue. I thought the epistolary approach was a really unique way to reveal the relationship between Red and Blue, as well as to help push the story along. However, I wasn't entirely taken to this romance. I had too many questions that might have been addressed if there was more worldbuilding. I think if the authors fleshed out their dystopian world some more so the reader could follow what was happening and why, the novella would have been far more compelling. It also would have greatly developed Red and Blue as characters because their motives would have been clearer.
Something else that stood out to me about this novella was the prose. It's very purple-y prose, which will work for some, while others will hate it. It was clear that a lot of thought went into each sentence, especially in the letters. Admittedly, I did find the flowery language to be a bit much at times, but it wasn't a negative for me in general.
TIHYLTTW clearly worked for many people, though, with many fans expressing their love for the slow burn sapphic romance. So, there's also the fact that I'm not much of a romance person (as I've probably made clear in many reflections/ramblings), and maybe I just wasn't the target audience.
Overall, I wasn't particularly frustrated with this novella, but I'm not fully understanding the adoration for it either.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, War, Body horror, and Violence
Minor: Torture
theirgracegrace's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
In the endless battle between the dystopian Agency and the utopian Garden, agents battle across time. Travelling up and down the threads of time, Red and Blue come across one another by pure chance...or is it? Red belongs to the Agency and Blue is part of the Garden, but through a series of letters, their relationship turns from rivals, to friends, to something more. I adored the settings of their letters and the ending completely blew me away. I will definitely recommend it to my friends!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Murder, Body horror, Confinement, Grief, Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Death, and War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Cursing
Minor: Colonisation, Genocide, and Pandemic/Epidemic
alexalily's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Stalking, Animal death, Torture, Death, and War